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Brandi Zrallack, PWG Market Manager
 Change is the only constant in our ever changing world. Change is the only thing you can count on. We all know it's true. If things didn't change, we would all still be wearing corsets or three-piece suits to the grocery store or we'd be driving model T cars. Everything around us is changing every day whether we like it or not.
What amazes me is how hard we all fight this change. I'd like to think that I have trained myself over the years to embrace change. Is it scary? Most of the time. But, I've worked to find a way to keep an open mind to it. I may try to pre-judge the change while thinking, "This is a waste of time," or, "This will never work," but I'll always at least give it my best effort to make it work.
Over the past decade, I've listened to wedding professionals grumble about changes in the marketplace. When photographers went from film to digital, those that were slow to make the turn complained about those that leapt forward. They sat back and watched their competitors take their business and said, "They're going to get screwed in the end because the picture quality isn't as good" they would say. Then, when most had made the switch because they couldn't afford to hold out anymore, photographers found all new amateurs in the field with $2,000 digital cameras and a subscription to Photoshop. This influx of new photographers began to drive down prices and the original crop of photographers had choices to make.
They could lower their prices with humility to stay in the game or they could fight the change, keep their prices high and walk around touting that they were aimed at the "high end" bride. The problem was, the "high end" bride was choosing more affordable photographers that also offered more than the "high end" versions. "High end" vendors only had 3% of the marketplace that were able to afford their services and soon, they became a dying breed.
Now, we're in a recession where everything from cars to homes to department stores are adjusting prices. Some are still digging in their heels, unwilling to negotiate. Recently, I had lunch with one of my favorite wedding professionals. He is a "high end" vendor. He acknowledged that many of his friends were digging in and not negotiating and that he hasn't worked weddings with them in a while. He, however, as much as it's against his nature, is negotiating. He's going out on weddings for less and he admitted that while he sits there and ponders that he's on a gig for less than what he was 3-4 years ago, at least he's working. It takes a humble person to adjust their way of thinking, but it's kept him in business when many that he's worked with in the past are no longer able to stick it out.  With every change that photographers have faced, other categories have felt the same evolution. With videographers, remember the big, huge cameras that perched on their shoulders? Remember VHS tapes? Videographers have also had to make changes to the way they do business. From different equipment to packaging and more, those that have moved forward into the HD world are staying on top of the game, refusing to allow change to hold them back.
Florists and invitation professionals now compete with the DIY bride. Their wedding revenue has been cut by the bride that wants to do more on her own. Dress shops, some of them high-end shops, have been shutting down lately. Brides are finding designers online or they're ending up in the stores who are conducting great marketing campaigns. DJ's are competing in a world that now includes iPods, iTunes, laptop set ups, lighting and more. In order to compete, they must keep up with the changing times.
Brides also have more to spend their money on and more to squeeze into their budget. From favors, photo booths, flipbooks, entertainment, and more, brides have to slash spending with their main service providers to have money left for all the little extras. Never before has the mainstream bride had so many products and services available to her for her wedding.
The world of weddings is a reliable revenue stream. That's the good news. The bad news is that to get your share of the revenue, you have to be willing to adapt and evolve with the changing times. You have to have a mind that is open to the possibilities and a lack of fear to educate yourself on the newest thing.
According to discussions at the recent Wedding MBA convention, by 2014, people will spend more time on apps, smart phones and tablets than they will on desktops, laptops and web sites. Who thought the Internet would ever be replaced as our source of information? Are you ready for this change? Are you ready to educate yourself on a mobile web site? Some have already made the change. Are you ready to investigate an app for your company? Some already have. Are you still not blogging? Tweeting? Facebooking? If you fight against the changes that are coming our way, you will be left behind.
In order to stay afloat in this world, your business model must adapt yearly for changes to our world and to our industry. Without change, brides would have no video, they would be smiling to the man behind the still camera under the black cloth, she wouldn't be sharing your beautiful flowers on her Facebook page, and she'd be riding horseback to your cake shop for a tasting. You can't discredit change or be quick to wish it away. It's here and it's the only thing around to stay!
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